Friday, June 13, 2008

Thanks to the Bilerico project (ha, I'm reading it right now, can you tell) for letting us know about this. I am from Charleston, an hour and a half south east of Columbia, SC, and Irmo High School was one of our biggest competitions in everything as we (Wando High School) were one of the few of that size. It's a personal affront this AM.

More importantly, I proposed a GSA in my high school, which I've talked about before, and, though no one quit over it, it never happened. That still makes me sad.

Irmo High School principal Eddie Walker confirmed Wednesday he is stepping down at the end of the 2008-09 school year. Walker said he gave his reasons in a letter sent to teachers and others and he refused to talk about the issue further. In a copy of the letter obtained by WIS-TV in Columbia, Walker said allowing the Gay-Straight Alliance club on campus would conflict with his professional beliefs and religious convictions because there are no other clubs on campus based on sexual preference or activity and the school teaches abstinence-based sex education.”

Walker wrote: “I feel the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance club at Irmo High school implies that students joining the club will have chosen to or will choose to engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, opposite sex, or members of both sexes."